Mayhem & Chaos: The True Essence Of Fiji

Welcome aboard Alex Mustard’s photography group! 

Already on the first night he got to describe Fiji underwater much like we have come to perceive, enjoy and love Fiji. Reefs booming with fish and life; just chaos and mayhem. 

Sometimes, as a photographer, you have to rein in that desire to take a picture of just THAT, because there is too much going on. 

We are naming Alex Mr. Silver Lining; as he will find the assignment for his divers no matter what conditions on the surface, to get them hyped up and take photos.

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

When the sun is not out (which unfortunately is how the charter started), it is the perfect opportunity for taking wide “moody and dramatic” shots. 

Even blurry fish action ones are easier in this scenario. 

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

“Absolutely so many fish down there!” - Mehmet

To all the bird lovers out there, we experienced an early morning invasion of black nobbies. Some flying through the dive deck sheltering from the wind and others even trying to take some selfies in the camera room. 

Gorgeous birds yet not the brightest…

ASHLEY ALWARD

Pod of dolphins breaking the surface right after sunrise. 

ASHLEY ALWARD

This group shares all the insides and outs of the dive sites with each, especially to help to take that “perfect shot”. 

TOMATO FIJI ANEMONEFISH ~ ASHLEY ALWARD

Mellow Yellow of course is a big hit with photographers, as a bommie teeming with life. 

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

Where corals and fish meet. 

As well as many more divesites in Vatu-i-Ra. 

ASHLEY ALWARD

Anemones are another big photo subject; from the ball anemones with the pink anemonefish to the Fiji tomato anemonefish in its roasted anemone to the striped carpet anemones with the big orange finned anemonefish. 

ORANGE - FINNED ANEMONEFISH ~ MEHMET A. GUNGEN

“We had a school of longjaw mackerels!” - Horacio. Anybody who sees those fish knows how funny they look: school of silvery fish all dislocating their jaws in unison. 

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

Moving on from the wonderful “Fiji like” scenarios, with abundant soft corals and hard corals, to different topographies and lots of schools of silver fish. 

BIG EYED BARRACUDA & SCAD ~ ASHLEY ALWARD

Barracudas: big eyes, yellow tail, pick up, and sawtooth. 

A bunch of grey reef sharks, white tip sharks and even a large tawny nurse shark. 

Big eyed trevallies even raced down the highway in quite a hurry.

HUGE BOULDER CORALS ~ ASHLEY ALWARD

One of the afternoon dives ended with divers enjoying mantas, about six to eight, feeding at the surface! 

And as Murphy’s Law goes, all the divers had their macro lenses on… 

CHRIS FORBES

“I jumped in the water and there were so many of them. One came directly into my face, mouth open!” - Stephanie

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

Mickey Manta made an appearance for both groups early in the morning; for those who don’t know him, he is our youngest manta in the area and gorgeous one at that. 

MICKEY MANTA ~ HORACIO MARTINEZ

Django also shared divers while she cruised along the reef. 

Huge marble ray down in the deep, goliath grouper hanging out in the water column, and hammer head sharks; unfortunately, too far for good photos, yet lovely to witness. 

SWEETLIPS CONGREGATION ~ CHRIS FORBES

Paul was haunted for days by a timid ghoulish sound on board… we were able to determine it was the massive fridge door in the galley. 

“It could be someone was caught in a blender, and the person’s ghost haunts the fridge. That’s why it happens most on days that soup is served.” - Paul’s theory (and vivid imagination) and we stick to it. 

CHRIS FORBES

Lovely pinnacles full of big sea fans and soft tufts of coral in the South. 

Schools of fish and sharks all around the North; as well as spectacular bommies with hard corals and purple soft corals. 

GREY REEF SHARKS ~ HORACIO MARTINEZ

Mehmet ran into a school of hammerhead sharks while the rest of the group basked in the beauty of the arch. 

A little sliver of beauty for each one.

SCHOOL OF HAMMER HEAD SHARKS ~ MEHMET A. GUNGEN

The morning just kept on giving with some fish action; hunting among the scads, sharks on both dive sites, blooming corals and the most photo friendly lionfish. 

“I am not used to lionfish posing so well for the camera.” - Rich

CHRIS FORBES

Bouncy passage to make it to one of the biggest sea mounts in the Bligh Channel area: E6. 

And then a lovely drop onto Rainbow Wall at Mount Mutiny, with all those drapey neon soft corals and the tables and tables of hardcorals. 

BLUE RIBBON EEL ~ HORACIO MARTINEZ

MEHMET A. GUNGEN

Such a fun turtle encounter!

First, it munching on coral while it swings in the surgy shallows, to later go around divers, genuinely curious, just to get blown up and away by their bubbles.

HORACIO MARTINEZ

Regarding the weather, you can work with almost anything underwater, but nobody can deny the impact of a sunny day; to the photos, to the mood and to dry your wetsuit a little bit!

HORACIO MARTINEZ

Vinaka vakalevu everyone!